


Alphabet Soup: GOT7 Style

by writenow753



Category: GOT7
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, M/M, OT7, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-08-16 09:59:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8097766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writenow753/pseuds/writenow753
Summary: Starting from A (to Z), a series of one-shots featuring all seven members of GOT7.  Various pairings and ships, most likely all romantic in nature with a few friendship fics thrown in potentially.





	1. A is for Anxiety

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter will be devoted to one letter of the alphabet (each letter corresponding to a word that will be the inspiration for the story), and each chapter will be a stand alone fic of indeterminate length. I may later get inspired to do a prequel or sequel (though not guaranteed or promised) of an earlier chapter, and in that case, I will make a note of it.
> 
> There will be various pairings, but I may tend to gravitate toward certain pairings more than others. Most likely all stories will be romantic in nature, though it could be pre-relationship/the start (or end) of a relationship/unrequited love. I want to keep an open mind and see where inspiration takes me.

It’s their debut stage today, and they’re in one of the many waiting rooms of M! Countdown. Though this isn’t his and Jinyoung’s first time, Jaebum feels the all-too-familiar combination of nerves and excitement. The nerves, he’ll admit only to himself, have been multiplied by the number of members he is responsible for now. He’s learning to deal with it, because it’s his job and role as leader of GOT7.

They still have some time before it’s their turn on stage, in the blinding lights, with the maddening crowd of people standing before them. He takes a quick look around the room to see what all the members are doing, mentally doing a head count and coming up one less.

Youngjae.

“Where’s Choi Youngjae?”

Jinyoung’s sitting on the sofa, sandwiched between Bambam and Yugyeom, most likely calming them in that natural nurturing way of his. Jackson is in the middle of what looks to be some body gag, making Mark laugh out loud. But at the sound of their leader’s voice, all ten eyes turn toward him.

Bambam is the first to answer. “I think I heard him ask manager hyung if he could use the restroom.”

“Thanks.” He heads out to find his missing member, but when he reaches the doorway he stops to turn back. “Kids. The thing we worked so hard for and the countless tiring hours of practice…. it’s all led up to today.” He smiles, taking a moment to look at each of them, proud of their teamwork and all the hard work they’ve put into debuting. “Let’s not have our efforts be wasted, and let’s make this a memory we and our fans will never forget.”

With their loud cheers and ‘yes, hyung’ ringing in his ears, he leaves to find Youngjae. After searching the closest bathroom and a couple nearby rooms and finding only other idol group members, his worry starts to increase.

Just as he thinks he’s going to have to let their manager know — and not looking forward to that conversation — he remembers there being an older, usually out-of-order bathroom at the farthest end of the building and rushes toward it.

When he opens the door and finds Youngjae, he breathes out a sigh of relief. Then he takes in the younger member, crouched on the floor, staring blankly ahead, looking in every way the epitome of lost and fragile.

The first thing out of his mouth however is the opposite of concern, and maybe it’s because he’s not sure how to handle all the feelings inside of him that keep creeping up concerning Youngjae lately, especially feelings like how he just wants to rush over and pull the younger man into his arms to comfort him.

“Ya! What do you think you’re doing, disappearing like that?” he asks, letting the door slam closed behind him as he moves farther into the room.

Youngjae looks up, startled at the sudden noise. “Hyung. What—” In his haste to stand, he loses his balance and is about to land flat on his face when Jaebum acts fast, catching him and preventing him from falling.

“Careful now,” Jaebum warns softly, releasing Youngjae once he’s vertical again. “This floor looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in who knows how long, and you can’t get your stage outfit dirty. Coordinoona wouldn’t like that.”

“So-sorry hyung.” He takes a couple steps back and bumps into the sink. _Why do I always have to be so clumsy?_ he criticizes himself silently.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… um, sorry for worrying you, sorry Jaebum hyung. I just,” he pauses and looks down at his hands, trying rather unsuccessfully to keep them from fidgeting. “I just needed some air,” he finishes lamely.

“And you went to this bathroom?” Jaebum smiles at that thought, looking around the small, dingy, and very cramped quarters. There’s a reason no one’s willingly used this restroom in months (if not, years), besides the fact that the toilets don’t function half the time. “It’s okay, Youngjaeya. To be nervous,” he clarifies, “all the other members are.”

 _Including me_ , he thinks but doesn’t say aloud. He’s the leader, and as leader, he has to be the one who is in control and steady even if sometimes that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

“I was talking with Mark hyung and Jackson hyung— well they were talking mostly and I just listened, and Mark hyung said in America when he had to give a speech, someone told him to picture everyone else in their underwear and that way you wouldn’t be nervous anymore,” Youngjae begins rambling, his nerves taking front and center stage. “Jackson hyung laughed but I don’t think it’s a good idea at all, but maybe… maybe Mark hyung misspoke since his Korean still isn’t the best and he meant to say something else. Us without clothes,” he stops and frowns at that particular thought. “No, no, that’s not right either… that’s a nightmare—”

“Youngjae.” Jaebum reaches out and lays a hand gently on his arm. “Just breathe.”

Wanting to do what Jaebum asks, he takes one, albeit short, deep breath and tries his best to control his breathing and calm his racing heart. _God, Jaebum hyung probably thinks I’m an idiot. Well, that’s okay_ , he reasons, _I feel like one most of the time anyway_. He can never hope to compare to the other members in their confidence and charisma and charm. And just when the thought of him not being able to compare and always falling short takes shape, he feels his anxiety increase ten-fold.

“I’m sorry, so sorry, rambling, disappearing…. that I worried hyung. I know you already have a lot to worry about and I’m just making it worse.” He just wants to reassure his hyung that he’s all right, but instead, he can’t seem to stop the word vomit from spewing out of his mouth.

He glances up and meets Jaebum’s eyes. His roommate, his leader hyung. Despite being older, Jaebum’s been such a good friend, helping him and encouraging him when he worried that he wasn’t good enough or that he wasn’t learning the dance moves fast enough. He sees infinite patience and a kind understanding and that just makes him even more nervous. He doesn’t want to ever see disappointment in those eyes, he’s not sure he could handle it.

He only ever wants to see Jaebum smile at him, and to have him give him those really wondrous hugs like he did sometimes after he did really well in his daily vocal lesson, or when after a dance practice even the choreographer couldn’t find fault with him and said he had done a good job. It was in hopes of one of those spontaneous hugs that kept him going and working so hard in those early months of trainee life.

And then there was last night. When he hadn't been able to sleep, Jaebum shifted closer to him, putting an arm around his body and hugged him tightly from behind, making him feel safe and secure. His eyes had shut, and he finally felt his body begin to relax. The last thing he remembered before drifting off to sleep was the sound of Jaebum’s voice singing softly to him.

But if he messes up today, none of that will ever happen again.

“I don’t want to let you down. Any of the members,” he quickly adds. “I haven’t trained as long, and what if I forget my line, or mess up a dance move and fall into another member, or if I get out there and freeze, or what if I can sing but my voice cracks… and… and…and what if…” His chest starts feeling too tight for comfort and his breaths are coming out fast and shallow as the multitude of ways he can mess up race through his mind like a mini slide show of doom.

“Youngjae!”

Through the fog that’s enveloping his brain and making him dizzy, he hears Jaebum shout his name but try as he might he can’t seem to answer. He also can’t seem to catch his breath, he realizes, while his hands and fingers are starting to go numb.

“Choi Youngjae!”

Panic, this time, in Jaebum hyung’s voice. _I shouldn't worry him, I should_ never _worry him…I_ can’t _worry him_ , he thinks, just as he feels his body begin to sway.

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Jaebum pleads, placing both his hands on Youngjae’s arms to try and steady him again. “Just breathe, please Youngjae, baby…come on, just take some deep breaths. Slowly. I’ll count for you, and all you have to do is focus on my voice and taking one deep breath at a time. You can do it, I know you can. One…two—”

“I-I can’t,” he barely manages, his voice just a raspy whisper. “Tr-trying to, hyung.”

Jaebum is busy trying not to panic himself, but this is Youngjae. Choi Youngjae. His responsibility, his roommate, his team member, his friend… his…

“Youngjaeya, please,” Jaebum says again, hoping his voice is steadier than he feels, while placing a hand gently on the other’s cheek. He leans forward without thinking of anything else, brushing his lips against the younger boy’s once, twice, before stopping himself.

And it seems that all at once, Youngjae feels his breath rush out, the tightness of his chest beginning to ease, and his heart — his heart though — it still races but for an entirely different reason. His eyes meet Jaebum’s, and Jaebum is looking at him with concern and something else he can’t name.

“It’s okay, just let yourself breathe. You’re okay, everything’s okay.” Now that color is beginning to return to Youngjae’s face and he no longer looks like he’s two seconds from passing out, Jaebum backs up a few steps, taking a slow deep breath himself, hoping to calm his much-too-fast beating heart. The fluttering feeling in his stomach, the one that began the moment his lips touched Youngjae’s, refuses to let up.

_What was I was thinking?_

The worry and crushing fear, which had clawed so violently at his heart and in his throat during those terrifying minutes, have lessened now and with both subsiding, rational thoughts and doubts begin to creep in and make themselves at home.

Seconds pass by, or maybe it’s actually been longer. Jaebum doesn’t know, and he’s almost unwilling to break the silence that’s fallen between them, too trapped in his thoughts of self reproach over what he’d done and how he could fix things. Apologize. He needs to apologize first. _Right?_

“Hyung.” Youngjae’s voice is whisper soft and laced with uncertainty. His index finger traces along his bottom lip, before he realizes what he’s doing and he quickly jerks his hand away and hides it behind his back.

“Hyung,” he tries again, hesitating only a little, “why… why did you do that?” He’s too shy to say the actual words but still he forces himself to look at Jaebum while he’s talking.

“You were having a panic attack,” Jaebum begins, trying to find the right words to explain himself. “And I kept trying to get you to breathe, and you wouldn't and I was worried if I left you to get help that…that…” his voice trails off, not wanting to finish the rest of his thought. “I uh— I was just trying to snap you out of it. I’m sorry, Youngjae. I shouldn't have done that.”

It isn’t like he expected him to say anything differently, but still Youngjae can’t help but deflate a little at Jaebum’s words and apology. _It’s silly, really quite silly though_ , he thinks, _what other explanation did I hope to receive?_

“It’s okay, Jaebum hyung.” He doesn’t want his leader feeling bad about what happened, since it obviously meant nothing on his part. He manages what he hopes to be a small smile. “It worked, thank you. I’m sorry for scaring you and for disappearing and causing—”

“Youngjae!” Jaebum interjects. “Stop before you work yourself up into another panic attack and then what will I do? Kiss you again?” _Crap crap_ crap, _I should not have said that!_ “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t mind.” The words slip traitorously out of his mouth before he can even try to stop them.

Spinning around quickly, he hits the bathroom sink for the second time that day while his cheeks turn a bright red. _Ohmygod Choi Youngjae, you have really done it now. Please, if there is someone up above, please let this floor open up now and swallow me whole._

“Youngjae.”

He’s still trying to figure out what exactly to say, when Jaebum turns him around so now they’re standing face-to-face, and he quickly looks anywhere else but at Jaebum hyung.

“I’m sorry. This is awkward, right?” He punctuates the air with his own little awkward laugh as if to reinforce his words. _Smooth, real smooth Youngjae._ He bites his bottom lip, again wishing for the floor to open up any second now. _Any. given. second. now. please._

His silent pleas remain unheard and he finds that he’s still standing in front of Jaebum, so without any other option (besides running away), he continues. “You were just trying to calm me, and it didn’t mean anything…. to you. You don’t like me, like that. I know. You’re my roommate, my leader hyung,” he says, finally finding a bit of courage and making eye contact with Jaebum again.

Jaebum is busy searching his face, and he isn’t sure what he sees but then Youngjae doesn’t care anymore because whatever answer he found leads Jaebum to kissing him again. It’s more than the soft, barely there brushing of lips from moments earlier, but still relatively tentative and chaste and he’s left wanting more.

 _This is Heaven, isn’t it?_ He sighs, and Jaebum stops and pulls back.

“What? Why?” His voice is more than a little breathless. Later maybe he would be embarrassed about it, but right now, he barely keeps himself from pouting.

“You’re not having a panic attack now, are you?”

Thrown by the sudden direct question (and plus his brain is still preoccupied with kisses), he wrinkles his face in confusion. “No, no I don’t think so.”

Jaebum places yet another all too chaste peck on his lips and smiles. “So does that correct your assumption about me not liking you…like that?”

“Yeah, yeah it does.” He knows he’s probably grinning like an idiot (really he is), but he doesn’t care. Shyly he reaches out and grabs one of Jaebum’s hands in his and holds it. “I um, I’m glad hyung.” He’s still nervous and unsure of himself but he wants to be honest too. “I really like you.”

And his honesty is rewarded by seeing Jaebum smile, really smile, the one where the corners of his eyes crinkle and Youngjae feels his heart trip in his chest just to see that wonderful incredible smile directed only at him and for him only.

There is more to be said and more to talk about, but they know it’ll have to wait when they hear their manager’s voice coming down the hallway, getting closer and closer, yelling out their names.

Youngjae releases Jaebum’s hand immediately, but Jaebum clasps his hand once again, giving it an encouraging squeeze, before heading toward the door.

He glances back to see if Youngjae is following and there’s a smile on his face still. “Come on, let’s go show the world GOT7 and let them see how great you are Youngjae.”

By the time Youngjae catches up, only seconds later, Jaebum is profusely apologizing to their manager and taking upon all the responsibility. It’s so very like Jaebum hyung, and Youngjae can’t help but fall a little more in love.

—

Time passes quickly, and chaos ensues as seven members hurry to finish the last seconds of preparation, and now it’s mere moments before they are due on stage.

There’s hot breath against the back of his neck, tickling him, and then Jaebum whispers in his ear, low enough only for him to hear. “If you need to picture anyone in just their underwear, I hope it’s me and not the crowd.”

Youngjae’s so surprised he almost chokes on the sip of water he’d just taken and knocks into Bambam when he spins around. Before the younger boy can protest, he apologizes and then shifts all of his attention to Jaebum.

 _There’s no way he actually said that, right?_ But he sees the grin on Jaebum’s face and turns bright red for the second time that day. “Hyung!”

All Jaebum does is wink — Im Jaebum hyung winks — at him before turning to pull all of them into one last huddle. And he does what he does best. Be a leader.

The stage, the blinding lights, the maddening crowd of people…. it’s all over in a blur and the adrenaline and giddiness of completing their first ever stage as GOT7 is enough to keep them powered up and going through the rest of the day and into the early night hours.

It’s a day Youngjae will always remember, and as his eyes search the room and land on Jaebum, busy discussing tomorrow’s stage with their manager, he knows he’ll remember it for more reasons than one.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The very first thing I posted, ah! I still remember the nerves...


	2. B is for Bowling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Starcast bowling date with GOT7 (ahem GOT3)

“We have the night off! We have the night off!” Bambam shouts, jumping up and down in celebration as soon as Jaebum relays the news.

“Yes!” Yugyeom echoes the sentiment, getting up from his spot on the floor to join Bambam in his cheers and adding in his own little dance of happiness.

Jinyoung and Mark stay sitting on the couch, but they’re already busy debating the pros and cons between going out versus staying in to relax.

Youngjae enters the room just as Bambam suggests that they go bowling.

“Yeah you guys went without us last time,” Yugyeom says, when he sees Youngjae. “That wasn’t fair.”

“You were in America with Mark hyung, so you can’t complain,” Bambam retorts, poking his friend in the side and causing Yugyeom to counterattack.

“Kids, no fighting, otherwise we’re staying in and that’s that.” Jaebum, forever the voice of reason in the land of chaos.

“Let’s go out to eat and then to the movies,” Youngjae suggests, taking a seat next to Jinyoung on the couch and playing with the bear-face plushie that’s been left there. “I think that’s a better idea, don’t you?”

“You just don’t want to go because you lost last time hyung.” Bambam smirks, acting all of his young age.

“No, that’s not it,” Youngjae insists, shaking his head in quick denial. “I just think we should wait to go bowling when Jackson hyung can come. That way it will be all seven of us, and no one will feel left out again.”

“He’s busy filming Roommate now. I’m sure he’ll understand though.” Still a little uncertain and not wanting to hurt feelings, Yugyeom turns to Mark for his opinion. “What do you think hyung?”

“It would be nice if Jackson could go,” he says, agreeing with Youngjae, “but he won’t be mad Yugyeom… don’t worry.” He’s upset his friend is missing out on the group outing, but he knows it won’t be the last time it happens since Jackson’s been getting more and more show offers. Besides the kids could really use a break and bowling sounded like a fun evening out. And later if Jackson has hurt feelings, he’ll just have to find a way to make it up to him.

“All right, let’s take a vote,” Jinyoung is quick to announce, already thinking ahead and wanting to prevent further arguments.

“Wait, wait… can we go out to eat and then go bowling?” Yugyeom asks.

“Yes, we’ll make sure you’re well fed,” Jinyoung promises the younger boy with a smile.

It only takes one round of voting to make a decision. Five-to-one, with Youngjae being the odd man out and voting against going to the bowling alley.

“Yes, this is going to be awesome! Jaebum hyung, I’m winning this time, so be prepared to lose,” Bambam declares, already preparing his victory dance in his head (it’ll be totally epic). “And let’s have the loser pay again!”

As the members start dispersing to head toward their rooms to get dressed to go out, Jaebum yells after them. “Meet back in the living room in thirty minutes, or we’ll leave without you.”

—

He finds Youngjae sitting on the bed with his bottom lip sticking out.

“Hey, no pouting allowed,” he says, shutting the door behind him for a little extra privacy. The truth, however, is that he finds Youngjae’s pouting face to be extremely cute and he’s more than a little weak to it. He refuses to tell Youngjae that, for obvious reasons.

Even though Youngjae doesn’t realize it yet — and seriously Heaven help him when Youngjae figures it out — he’s pretty much putty in the younger boy’s hands. Whatever Youngjae wants, he wants to give it. Whatever makes Youngjae happy, if it’s in his power, he wants to do it.

“Sorry, hyung.” He looks a little sheepish at being caught, and Jaebum finds that completely adorable too. “Why didn’t you vote for the movies with me? It would have been fun.”

He much rather go to the movies too, sitting close to Youngjae and in a dark theater sounded like a pretty sweet night to him. But to keep from playing favorites (something he’s working hard on doing lately), he voted for bowling. So now instead of looking forward to a relatively peaceful night ahead, he’ll be busy trying to keep charge of everyone and making sure they don’t act too-out-of-control crazy while in public.

“Why don’t I suggest partners?” Jaebum asks, coming to sit next to him on the bed.

Youngjae gives him a small smile. “That might have worked if Bambam hadn’t went on and on for weeks to everyone about how bad I was at bowling.” He groans. He likes Bambam, he does, but sometimes the urge to strangle him is really _really_ hard to resist. “Argh, whatever. It’ll be fine, don’t worry, hyung.”

“Hey, what about me?” At Youngjae’s blank look, he offers, “I’ll be your partner.” 

“Haha, funny hyung.” He shakes his head, laughing at the thought, the best bowler in GOT7 stuck with the world’s worst player. Even karma wouldn’t be so cruel.

“No, seriously, let’s be partners.”

“Really? Even though I’m beyond terrible? What about the loser having to pay? You’ll come in last place with me hyung.”

“No, we won’t. I’m good, remember? And I’ll give you some tips.” Jaebum smiles at that, thinking that helping Youngjae with his bowling technique might not be such a bad way to spend the evening either. “And if we’re still last place, I don’t care. I _want_ to be your partner, it’ll be fun.”

“Partners?” Youngjae asks, still slightly incredulous, and Jaebum nods yes. “Have I told you that you’re the best boyfriend ever?” It’s the first time he’s called Jaebum that, and maybe it should have made him a little shy, but he realizes it doesn’t.

“Boyfriend?” Jaebum grins. “So is that what I am now?”

“Well I would think after what we did last night that would uh qualify you for that status hyung.” Okay, now he’s definitely blushing, and he turns to bury his face in the crook of Jaebum’s neck.

“Boyfriend,” Jaebum repeats again, enjoying that it sounds so natural to say, and puts an arm around Youngjae hugging him closer.

“Mhmm yes.” Garbled words accompany by a tiny nod from Youngjae.

“I like the sound of that,” Jaebum murmurs softly, tilting his head down to press a quick kiss to Youngjae’s cheek. “I’ll be your boyfriend Youngjaeya, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Youngjae backs away and looks up after hearing those words. He wants to ask _what about forever, hyung?_ because forever sounded like paradise to him, but he keeps the words to himself thinking perhaps it’s too soon to say that to Jaebum.

So instead he smiles and teases lightly, “I think I’ll keep you, hyung.”

“Will you?” Jaebum wants to say _promise me you’ll always feel that way_ , but he doesn’t, thinking perhaps it’s too soon to ask that of Youngjae.

“Yes.”

For both of them, this relationship is new and bright and shiny and neither wants to mess it up, so they handle it with care in every conversation and in every look and touch.

And just as Jaebum leans forward, Youngjae meets him halfway, both letting all the words and feelings unspoken speak through the kiss they share.

The words and promises will come in time, but for now, in this moment, it’s more than enough.

FIN


	3. C is for Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only took 3 chapters for my actual GOT7 bias to have a story of his own.

“You don’t have to bake me a cake Jinyoung,” Jaebum says. He’s sitting next to Youngjae on barstools at the kitchen island in their dormitory. “You already made seaweed soup for me this morning.”

“That’s the fifth time you’ve told me that today. I counted. Are you already forgetting things now that you’re officially a year older?” Jinyoung hasn’t even bothered to turn around since after the third time. He’s too focused on his tasks at hand.

“Haha, that isn’t funny,” Jaebum mumbles, as Youngjae quickly tries to cover his laugh by coughing instead.

“Need any help, hyung?” Yugyeom enters the kitchen with Mark. They’d just sent Jackson and Bambam off with their manager to pick up a few last minute things they needed for tonight’s party.

“Can you hand me that bowl over there? Thanks.”

After passing the bowl over, he frowns when he sees what Jinyoung is doing. “Why are you making so much chocolate sauce? Isn’t that enough to cover like three cakes?”

“Oh, that? I’m going to paint with it later.”

Jaebum chokes on the sip of water he’d just taken, coughing violently, and Youngjae (being the caring dongsaeng that he is) hurries to slap him on the back a couple of times.

“I didn’t know you could paint with chocolate. That sounds fun. Can I—” Yugyeom stops mid-sentence as Mark tugs on his arm. “Hey, hyung, what—?”

“Nevermind, Yugyeom, I just remembered that I need you to help me with something in the other room,” Mark makes up on the spot. “Something very important,” he continues, when Yugyeom protests. Keeping a firm hold of one of Yugyeom’s arms, he shoots a glare at Jinyoung who just smiles and shrugs innocently. _Baby ears,_ he mouths, before dragging Yugyeom out of the kitchen.

Silence reigns in the kitchen, and they can hear Mark telling Yugyeom that painting with chocolate isn’t allowed until he’s older and the youngest maknae complaining about how that isn't fair and it doesn't make any sense anyway and why can he never do anything fun.

Youngjae laughs and hops off his barstool before leaning closer to stage whisper in Jaebum’s ear. “I’m rooming with Bambam and Yugyeom tonight, so no worries hyung.”

“Youngjaeya,” Jaebum growls, though its without any real heat. This is what happens when you decide to tell your group mates that you’re dating another member. It’s just ammunition for them to give him a hard time, something they excel at and love doing.

Completely undaunted Youngjae continues in his quest to make his hyung blush. “We rented an action movie too. I purposely looked for one that said there would be lots _and lots_ of car chases and loud explosions, so you don't have to worry about being quiet—ow, hyung, why’d you hit me?”

“So that you would get the hint to stop talking,” Jaebum replies, briefly wondering to himself if Youngjae had a death wish. “Go, go bother Mark hyung or play with Yugyeom.”

“But I was just about to get to the have fun, be safe part of my speech,” Youngjae teases, but after one (threatening) glare from Jaebum, he amends, “okay, okay, you’re no fun. I’m going.” Youngjae’s smiling as he heads off to distract Yugyeom from his chocolate painting request.

And finally it’s just the two of them in the kitchen.

“Remind me why we told them we were together in the first place?” Jaebum asks.

“Because we were caught by Jackson, the guy with the loudest and biggest mouth, in the laundry room not actually doing laundry?” Jinyoung replies with a grin at the memory, not the getting caught part but the before part.

“We could have blackmailed him.”

Jinyoung sighs, not offended. “Whatever you say, hyung.” Jinyoung knows that Jaebum doesn’t really mean it, he’s the one who had — even before the Jackson finding out incident — suggested that maybe they should tell the other kids.

“Did you really have to say that?” Jaebum switches topic suddenly, after glancing at the clock on the stove. It’s only now just half past two o’clock.

“Oh, that.” Jinyoung doesn’t even ask what he means, he already knows what Jaebum is referring to. “Oops, sorry I ruined your surprise?”

 _Sorry, right, uh huh_ like he actually believes that.

He’s known Jinyoung for a long time, so he is well acquainted with his mischievous mind (which in some cases he loves, usually all the ones involving the bedroom and — quite honestly — any room with a lock on it) and he knows his boyfriend didn't just accidentally let the surprise slip out.

No, he knows Jinyoung had done it just to torture him, knowing that the kids had already planned an elaborate dinner to celebrate his birthday and that they would want to give gifts and play games and all the while he would have to smile and try his best not to think about the other more personal celebration Jinyoung had planned for him.

“Today’s going to be a long day,” he complains, half groaning at the thought of the seemingly endless hours ahead. He gets up, glances at the clock again, only two minutes have passed — seriously is the clock mocking him now? — and opens the refrigerator door hoping that the cool air will cool down his wayward thoughts.

He hears Jinyoung laughing, not so silently, and he opens the freezer door while he’s at it.

“Don’t laugh, this is all your fault.”

“I’m sorry, can I make it better for you?”

There’s something about the way Jinyoung asks the question that has him shutting both doors again and turning around. _Heaven help him._ Or maybe it’s much too late, and he’s already going to hell. Honestly he can’t seem to care either way.

Jinyoung’s sitting front and center on top the island’s counter. And, most importantly, there’s a bowl of chocolate next to him.

He grins as he walks toward the younger man, stopping to stand in between his legs. The thought that the other three could walk back into the kitchen at any given moment flashes through his mind as quickly as it leaves. He’s just going to put his trust in Mark to be smart enough to stay out and keep the others occupied as well.

“It depends,” Jaebum pauses, pretending to ponder, “I’ve been teased and laughed at, quite relentlessly I might add, and now I’m going to need to spend the next thirty minutes taking a very _very_ cold shower just in hopes that I’ll make it until later tonight all because of you—”

“Aw, baby, you’ve had it hard—”

Jaebum tsktsks before leaning down to playfully nip at Jinyoung’s bottom lip.

“Sorry, bad choice of words?” Jinyoung laughs softly, not looking very contrite at all. “Happy birthday hyung.” He picks up the bowl next to them and dips one finger into the cooled chocolate.

God if he doesn't love his boyfriend, every devious mischievous wonderful inch of him.

“You were saying before, about making it better,” Jaebum prompts. “Maybe a sample of what’s on tonight’s agenda?”

Instead of answering, he holds his finger against Jaebum’s lips, smearing it messily along the contours and curves and dips, before licking the remains off his finger, all the while keeping his eyes locked with Jaebum.

“Yeah, yeah I think I can do that birthday boy.” Jinyoung grins wickedly before he leans in toward his best friend, his lover, and does exactly that.

Chocolate’s never tasted sweeter or more sinfully delicious.

—

And later, much much later, in a tangle of limbs, with still fast beating hearts, and heavy breathing filling the darkened room, Jaebum thinks that death by chocolate is not a bad way to go.

FIN


	4. D is for Dance, Dance... Romance?

It’s nearing two in the morning and dance practice has finished late (or early, depending on how one views it) and Jaebum knows he should head to his room to try and sleep because morning always comes too soon these days. But practicality doesn’t fully exist at this hour, so he finds himself making a detour.

He stands outside of Jinyoung’s room, debating for a moment or two before knocking on the door twice. Hearing a softly spoken _come in_ , he opens the door to find Jinyoung with his back to him, hastily pulling down a shirt, before he turns around to greet him.

“What’s going on hyung?”

“I was just about to ask you that.”

Over the last couple of weeks, he’d noticed Jinyoung keeping to himself more, being quieter, and not saying much when they had group meetings. Jinyoung had picked up the dance moves quickly, made no mistakes, and smiled for the cameras when they were present, but Jaebum can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.

“What do you mean?”

He’s not entirely sure how to put it into words, since it’s more just a feeling he has than anything else. Finally Jaebum settles on, “You haven’t seemed like yourself lately.”

“Oh.”

One word, that’s it? So he tries again.

“I wanted to know if something’s bothering you?”

While Jaebum’s been in his room, Jinyoung keeps busy moving and organizing a few things; placing dirty clothes in the hamper by his closet, picking up a book that had fallen onto the floor and placing it on the table next to his bed. Not ignoring him (because he would never), but not actively encouraging conversation either. Finally finding nothing else out of place, he sits down on his bed, grabbing a blanket and pulling it loosely over his legs. He’s not cold really, he just wants something to hold.

“No, I just—”

Jaebum waits for him to finish his thoughts, but when he sees Jinyoung has no plans to, he prompts, “Just what?”

“I just had some things on my mind. I’m sorry if I seemed distracted or messed up anything.”

He shakes his head because that’s not what he meant to imply at all. “You don’t need to apologize, Jinyoung.” He’s still standing, just barely inside Jinyoung’s room, and he suddenly feels awkward. Before… before, he wouldn’t have thought twice about taking a seat next to Jinyoung on his bed, but things are different.

And maybe it’s because he feels things are different and he’s not even sure when or how things got that way — did it happen overnight, or was it more a gradual thing? He knows he doesn’t like it though, this invisible distance and divide he feels that’s building between them. And he really really wants to believe that it’s just something he’s made up in his mind and things are actually fine, just fine, but that’s starting to feel more and more like a lie.

“You know you can still talk to me, right? About anything?”

 _Please say yes, please don’t let things have changed that much_ his mind begs Jinyoung.

“Of course, hyung.” Jinyoung looks down at his hands, he’s currently picking imaginary lint off his blanket, and he waits a few beats before speaking again as if he’s trying to decide how much he wants to reveal. “I’ve been thinking that I missed dancing with you.”

_Oh._

“We dance together everyday.” He’s not deliberately being obtuse, it’s just he’s not sure what else to say because things are the way they are.

“I know, it’s stupid, right?” And it is entirely ridiculous because Jaebum is completely right. They do dance together _every single_ day. There’s just five extra members added to the mix. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, don’t say that,” Jaebum is quick to tell him. “Your feelings are never stupid to me.”

Jinyoung looks up and smiles at that. “I guess I’m still getting use to how things are.”

Jackson makes him laugh, Mark is kind and sweet, Youngjae is earnest and awkward and endearing, and Bambam and Yugyeom make him want to simultaneously mother them and scold them.

But just because he doesn’t resent the other members, it doesn’t mean he can’t also miss the days when it was just the two of them, right?

The room stays quiet as Jaebum just kind of stares at him, and it looks as if he wants to say something but fails to find the words. Finally he glances away and clears his throat and the moment passes, making Jinyoung think maybe he just imagined it.

“You should get some sleep,” Jaebum murmurs softly. “Good night, Jinyoung.” And with those parting words, Jaebum walks out of his room, pulling the door shut and leaving him all alone. Again.

—

After that unexpected late night talk, there’s nothing major that really changes, no flashing neon light indicating a turn ahead or change of roads. Jinyoung doesn’t think Jaebum really understood what he meant anyway, so he just pushes aside those thoughts and focuses on doing the best he can for GOT7.

Nothing really changes, except two days later, Jaebum starts sitting next to him more often than not when it comes meal time. Of course that means Jaebum ends up stealing food from his plate, and so then he’s obligated to put up a fight to steal it back, only to let him win in the end or to fake fullness and shove his leftovers at Jaebum.

This leads to him getting midnight cravings, which isn’t so bad either, because more than a few times Jaebum will be up going to the restroom in the middle of the night and instead of going back to sleep, he’ll keep him company while he eats (and maybe steal a bite or two). He never questions how his stomach demanding food and Jaebum’s bladder seem to coincide so perfectly sometimes. He’s completely content to enjoy the quiet moments they share, just the two of them, just like old times.

Besides sharing meals and meeting up in the kitchen at ungodly hours, the late night visit to his room isn’t the last Jaebum makes either. He stops by with some reason or another — Youngjae snoring, it’s too cold in his room (Jinyoung hands him a blanket but Jaebum collapses next to him on the bed instead and asks for him — rather cutely — to warm him up), he can’t sleep — and they end up talking about a dozen little things. Nothing important or big, just talking to talk.

And only once does Jaebum fall asleep in his room, it hadn’t been intentional at least Jinyoung doesn’t think so, but that had been nice. The next night, Jinyoung hugs the pillow Jaebum had used tightly to his chest, inhaling the scent left behind and trying not to giggle like a school girl with a crush.

—

Another two weeks pass when Jaebum comes to practice late one morning. He’s got a huge grin on his face and Jinyoung’s curious why but before he has a chance to ask, Jaebum’s at the computer, fiddling around with volume controls and adjusting things.

“We’ve got the Japan showcase coming up, so let’s go through the dance routines and practice all our songs,” he announces in full leader-mode, his hand hovering over the play button. When the opening bars of “Girls, Girls, Girls” ring out a few seconds later, he rushes to get into formation.

They put in four straight hours without stop before Jaebum takes pity on Youngjae and Bambam who both look to be on the verge of throwing up.

“Break time.”

Everyone’s too tired to cheer and instead collapse exhausted. Mark and Jackson are using each other as their own personal body pillows, Youngjae’s sitting and leaning against a wall for support, while Bambam and Yugyeom are sprawled out much like da Vinci’s _Vitruvian Man_.

“Jinyoung?”

“Yes, hyung,” he mumbles, his eyes closed. He barely made it to the sofa to sit.

“Come with me to the convenience store to buy some snacks?”

He opens his eyes at that and gives Jaebum his best _you’ve got to be kidding me_ look. “Can’t we just order something?” he suggests. He’s not even embarrassed that his voice has a hint of a whine to it, he’s hoping his hyung will take pity on him and give his legs a break.

“I thought I’d pick up some vitamin drinks too. I won’t be able to carry everything,” Jaebum insists. “Come on, I promise I’ll let you rest when you get back.”

“Hmmph.” Too tired to properly argue and thinking back to Jaebum’s earlier mystery smile, he relents and agrees to go.

“Kids,” Jaebum says, his voice easily slipping back to leadership-mode, “I don’t need to tell you to stay here and behave, do I?”

Youngjae groans in response while Bambam mutters, “Real funny hyung, just let me die in peace.”

—

Instead of heading to go out, Jaebum grabs his hand and leads him to the back of the building, to the staircase that leads to the rooftop.

His legs may be screaming in full protest at the thought of climbing flights of stairs, but once he realizes where Jaebum is taking him, he doesn’t want to say no. It’s been a while since they both went up to the roof.

“I take it the snack break was really just a ruse to get me alone then?” Jinyoung asks when they reach the top of the building.

“You make it sound bad, but yeah…. maybe?”

Jinyoung laughs and Jaebum smiles at the sound. Jinyoung’s laughter has to be his favorite thing in the world.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve come up here,” Jinyoung voices his earlier thought.

“Yeah, yeah it has,” Jaebum agrees softly.

They lapse into silence both thinking back to memories of an earlier time, when it was just the two of them. _JJ Project forever_ , they had promised with eyes shining bright with excitement and youthful energy. That hadn’t quite worked out the way they hoped or thought it would, and adjusting to the new dynamics that five extra people bring is something they’re still in the process of learning.

Jaebum thinks back to when they almost shared their first kiss, it’d been the day before he had found out JJ Project was to become GOT7 — almost kiss, because they’d been interrupted by their manager coming to tell him that Park Jinyoung PDnim wanted to see him the next morning.

After that, things got a lot more chaotic and busy and he was overwhelmed with trying to become a leader that all six could be proud of and look up to, and maybe in the midst of trying to be perfect at everything and to not play favorites, he’d placed his feelings for Jinyoung to the side.

He’d taken for granted Jinyoung, and took for granted that he would always be there, and that wasn’t fair. The night he talked with Jinyoung — when he had asked what was bothering him — and Jinyoung had said he missed dancing together, he understood the meaning behind the words spoken aloud.

He just hadn’t been sure what to do about it then, so he went back to his room and spent the next two nights staying up late and thinking long and hard about what he wanted, what he thought Jinyoung wanted, and what it meant for GOT7 and whether or not he was brave enough to take the risk. He knew after Jinyoung said what he did, the proverbial ball was in his court.

So he started eating meals with him, half the time elbowing Mark and Jackson out of the way and earning dirty glares from them (glares he was surprised Jinyoung hadn’t notice to be honest). And without fail, one of them would end up going around the table to sit on Jinyoung’s opposite side. When Mark would get a little too close for his personal liking or Jackson a little too handsy, he would start stealing Jinyoung’s food so that he would have to pay attention to him again. Of course that meant he had to eat all the leftover food Jinyoung pushed toward him, even if he was already so full that his stomach felt like it would burst with any additional bite.

The first time he heard noise in the kitchen at one in the morning, he came out fully prepared to yell at whichever member was stupid enough to disturb his sleep and to scold them for eating so late. But then he saw Jinyoung and he quickly recovered, saying that he needed to use the restroom. After that he kept water in his room, so any time he heard noises in the kitchen, he would have a convenient excuse to go out and keep Jinyoung company. Instead of wondering how Jinyoung didn’t seem to find it odd that their timings matched so well, he chose to appreciate all the little stolen moments.

And sometimes it would be late, and there would be no noises coming from the kitchen, so he started making up excuses to visit Jinyoung’s room again. Really lame excuses, but Jinyoung seemed to believe him so he kept coming up with new ones. All he really wanted to do was spend time with Jinyoung, and Jinyoung never seemed to mind, always welcoming him with a smile.

Only once had he fallen asleep in Jinyoung’s room, the feelings of loneliness overwhelming him to the point that he hadn’t wanted to leave the security he felt when he was with Jinyoung. It had been without a doubt the best night’s sleep he had since JJ Project became GOT7.

The silence that’s settled between them is comfortable, and part of Jinyoung hates to disturb it, but he’s also more than a little eager to find out what prompted Jaebum to bring him up to their rooftop (it’s how he always thought of it).

“Earth to Jaebum hyung, calling Jaebum hyung… are you in there?” he teases as he waves a hand in front of the other’s face.

“Huh, sorry. What did you say?” He hadn’t meant to get distracted but the place held a lot of memories for him and Jinyoung, and he hopes that maybe they can create new ones today. He’s actually pretty nervous, he realizes belatedly. He doesn’t want to screw this up.

“Well you were quiet for a while,” Jinyoung tells him. “But really, I just wanted to know why you brought me here? Is there a particular reason?”

“Remember how we use to come up here and dance?” Jaebum asks instead. “How this was our little escape, our little version of paradise when we got tired of the practice room and all we wanted was fresh air and a change of scenery?”

Jinyoung nods because it wasn’t something he’d ever forget.

“I think we did some of our best routines up here.” They’re some really great memories — ones he’d sometimes take out late at night when he couldn’t sleep or had a really rough day. Lying in bed alone and missing the warmth of the one that was rooms away, he’d think back to their rooftop rendezvous with an aching sense of bittersweet longing.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said — you know about how you missed dancing with me and I said we dance together every day. I knew what you really meant. It’s not the same,” Jaebum says. “How can it be when our choreography is designed for seven people now? When there are five extra members living in our dorm?”

He hadn’t thought Jaebum understood his feelings then, not really, but hearing Jaebum talk, he starts to think maybe he kind of got it.

“But I don’t resent them,” Jinyoung tells him, because it’s important that Jaebum understands that too.

“I know you don’t, I don’t either.” It’s true that he’d been overwhelmed and hadn’t paid enough attention to Jinyoung, but knowing Jinyoung was there, always there, kept him sane and calm and from breaking down those times when everything became too much to handle. “Honestly I think I was just happy and focused on the fact that I was still able to dance with you everyday. It didn’t matter to me if there were three, five, or ten other people. As long as I still had you by my side, it seemed like everything would be okay.”

The words Jaebum says leave him momentarily speechless, because _thank you_ seems inadequate and not nearly enough. So he takes Jaebum’s hand in his and holds onto it, entwining their fingers together.

Jaebum smiles as he looks at their joined hands. “I’ve got a surprise for you, it’s why I brought you up here actually.”

“Really?” he asks, a little thrown by the sudden change in topic. His eyes search the rooftop but he finds nothing out of the ordinary. “Where?”

“It’s not where, it’s what. You know our Japan showcase coming up? We’re going to perform “Bounce,” I talked with Park Jinyoung PDnim and he okayed the idea.”

“Wait, hyung? Are you serious?” The smile on his face easily rivals the brightness of the sun outside.

“It’s all seven of us,” Jaebum hurries to add, hoping the news won’t dim Jinyoung’s smile too much. “It wouldn’t be fair to exclude the others, but I did get his approval that we can have the ending… just the two of us dancing together. I know it might not be enough—”

“It’s enough,” Jinyoung interrupts. “It’s more than enough.” And it is, it absolutely is. To everyone else it may not seem like a big deal or anything special, but to him, it’s something that’s priceless. “Thank you hyung.”

This time there’s no manager to suddenly barge in or five other members to worry about, and he leans forward and finally finally kisses Jaebum.

Their first kiss has been a long time coming — a lot of uncertainty, ups and downs, and feelings being denied — but it’s worth the wait. The road they walk on may have grown wider to accommodate more people, but what’s important is that they’re both walking the same path.

“I take it you like my surprise then?”

“It’s perfect,” Jinyoung answers. “Absolutely perfect, just like you.”

Jaebum grins and gives into the temptation that is Jinyoung and kisses him again, pulling him closer and closer. They’re both a little breathless when they break apart, and several seconds pass before Jaebum manages to find his voice.

“The kids are probably wondering where we are. We should get snacks and feed them, otherwise we may have a riot on our hands.”

“Riot? Hmm, yeah, yeah sure. Let’s get food.” Jinyoung’s still a little lost in Jaebum’s kiss, as he heads towards the door in a semi-daze.

“Hey, wait up,” Jaebum calls out and hurries to catch up, slinging an arm around Jinyoung’s shoulder when he reaches him. “Let’s go together.”

“Together,” Jinyoung repeats, looking at Jaebum and they’re both wearing matching smiles, “together sounds just right.”

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by GOT7 performing “Bounce.”
> 
> Comments/constructive criticism/fangirling always welcomed!


	5. E is for Eavesdropping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: (lots of) language

“It may be a tiny stick, but it offers big entertainment. All you have to do is insert it—”

Jackson overhears his boyfriend through the door that’s not quite all-the-way closed.

He looks down at the part in question and covers himself, feeling mortified and indignant and pissed off enough to storm into the room without thinking things through or listening further.

“Why are you talking about our sex life with Jaebum hyung? And my… stick isn’t small,” he says all in one rushed breath before he’s even halfway in the room. Then he stops, taking in the scene before him, eyes widening in slow dawning horror as he sees Jinyoung with an opened Roku box and the tiny device in his hand.

Aw, shit. Hell.in.a.hand.basket. (Whatever that means.)

This is totally not embarrassing, not one bit. He tells himself that at least, but his boyfriend is doubled over laughing and Jaebum’s looking at his crotch (with a smirk on his face — what a bastard) and just fuck it, let me die now.

But he’s also not Jackson fucking Wang for nothing, so he does what he does best: bluff like a total heavyweight champ.

“Well even if, you heard Jinyoung,” he says, pointing to his boyfriend (the one he kind of wants to kill right now), “ _big_ entertainment. B.I.G. So there.”

He’s got swag and confidence, or at least he can totally fake it — the mantra _fake it until you make it_ repeating in his head — while still wanting to crawl into a really really deep hole until he can figure out how to erase this whole episode from Jaebum’s mind a la _Men in Black_ or _The Matrix_ blue pill.

“You know what? I’m going to go now.”

Jaebum volunteers because while it may have been funny at first, it’s getting more than a little awkward as the seconds pass. The irony isn’t completely lost on him, considering it’s his room they’re currently in and he’s the one feeling like he overstayed his welcome. He makes it to the door before turning back with a stern warning to keep off his bed and then leaves, closing the door firmly behind him.

Jinyoung’s finally got his laughter (mostly) under control and he sees his boyfriend glaring daggers at him.

“Hey, it’s all your fault, you shouldn’t have come in here half-cocked—”

At his choice of words, the glares turn more murderous, if possible.

“What I meant is, you shouldn’t have been eavesdropping in the first place and jumping to conclusions. This should teach you.”

“Yes, now’s a perfect time for a lesson,” Jackson says dryly. “Sometimes I totally hate you.”

“No, you don’t. You love _love_ me.”

And Jackson really does, even while he’s still more than a little annoyed at his boyfriend.

“Fine, yes, I love you. But still, your boyfriend’s been totally mortified and embarrassed. Instead of casting blame or wanting to teach lessons, you should be the better, bigger man and at least pretend to care and try and make me feel better,” Jackson whines, a pout on his lips and hands on his hips.

Jinyoung says nothing to that, just walks to the door and locks it.

“What are you doing?”

“I thought you asked me to make you feel better?”

“I did, but should you really be locking the door? You heard what Jaebum hyung said.”

Jinyoung nods. “I did, but I don’t care. All this talk about sticks, and inserting tab A into slot B…” His voice trails off as he walks toward his boyfriend and links his arms around Jackson’s neck. He smiles when Jackson immediately wraps his arms around his waist to pull him closer. “And then you come in here looking sexy as hell, so what else can I do?” Jinyoung puts on his best I’m innocent face and shrugs.

“You think I’m sexy?”

Jinyoung sighs at the question. He really really doesn’t get how Jackson can be so insecure sometimes, especially when he looks the way he does. (Amazingly fucking hot that is.)

“Of course. I have standards you know.”

Jackson grins. “Thanks babe. You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

“So now that we’ve both agreed we’re dating super hot people, why don’t you take your little stick and show me how you can entertain me big?” Jinyoung teases, as one of his hands slides ever-so-slowly down Jackson’s chest, past his belt, until finally reaching its destination.

Jackson bites back a moan. “You don’t have to be such an ass about it.”

Jinyoung laughs and kisses him soundly. “Whatever, you fucking love my ass anyway.”

He can’t exactly argue with that (and why would he want to), so he just grins and pulls Jinyoung down to the bed with him. Jaebum’s going to kill them later, he’s sure of it, but first before that happens, he needs to entertain his boyfriend and keep his mouth… occupied.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jackson, I’m sorry, I love you. Wth did I just write? *hangs head in deep shame* 
> 
> But yay Jinson, lol? 
> 
> Comments/constructive criticism/fangirling…. always welcomed!


	6. F is for Fortune Cookies

Returning to his room after taking a shower, Jackson tosses the towel in the general direction of the laundry basket before changing into comfy gym clothes. When he walks over to his bed to retrieve his phone that’s the moment he notices something different.

Sitting on top of his pillow is a lone fortune cookie.

His first thought is seriously, a fortune cookie? Just because he’s from Hong Kong doesn’t mean he likes them, and fortune cookies didn’t even originate in China to begin with. Someone needs to do his homework. But then he looks closer and sees that it’s homemade and there’s a tiny slip of paper peeking out of its end corner.

Curious he carefully breaks it in two, taking a small bite of the cookie. He’s pleasantly surprised because it’s delicious.

_You are somebody’s reason to smile._

The note is simple, short, and completely makes his morning.

—

It’s been six days since he received his first fortune cookie, and he’s no closer to figuring out who left it there. He really wants to ask, but something holds him back.

He wonders why they made it for him in the first place, what prompted it? It’s true he’d been feeling down lately, but he thought he had done a pretty good job at hiding it.

When he returns to the dorm after a long day of filming, he doesn’t bother turning on the light, instead choosing to collapse facedown onto his bed. Sleep is the only thing on his mind.

“Oww.” And a crunching sound. “What the—?” Confusion turns quickly to excitement as he flips on the bedside lamp.

On his pillow is a severely smooshed fortune cookie, and crumbs everywhere, but he doesn’t care. He pops the fragments of cookie into his mouth until they disappear and all that’s left is a piece of paper.

_Erase all the worries hidden behind your smile._

—

It’s been three and a half weeks, and he’s found three more fortune cookies in that time.

Each one homemade and perfectly shaped.

_You will become great, if you believe in yourself._

_May you be happy always._

_Remember to be kind to yourself._

With each message, his heart grows lighter and he begins to look forward to each day with a newer, brighter excitement. He wants to say thank you to whoever is leaving the messages for him, but he’s still not sure how to go about finding out who the person is. Then he reasons since they’re homemade and always taste fresh, whoever it is must be making them in the early morning hours when everyone else is sleeping.

He decides to start sneaking and looking into the kitchen at various times during the morning hours to see if he can catch the person. He’s determined to find out who is behind the uplifting fortune cookie messages.

—

It takes five days and it’s one thirty in the morning. He’s holding back his yawn as he quietly walks toward the kitchen, careful to stay out of sight when he hears voices.

Voices as in more than one person.

Keeping close to the wall, he stays hidden while he listens to the conversation.

It’s Jinyoung and Youngjae.

“Youngjaeya, can you please stop waking me up and asking me for help?”

“But hyung, you’re a better cook than I am and you can go back to bed as soon as you make the batter. I can bake and shape the cookie and do the rest. Please, please?”

“The things I do for you.” Jinyoung sighs.

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t you just tell Jackson how you—”

“Shh! Don’t say it,” Youngjae interrupts.

“There’s no one to hear us at this hour, everyone else is smarter and using this time to actually sleep.” He playfully slaps Youngjae’s hand away when he tries to taste the mix. “Back to Jackson though, why don’t you tell him how you feel?”

“I know you keep saying that, but I just can’t. He treats me like a younger brother, and it’s just… it’s just not going to happen. I’m okay with that. Really. This way, with the fortune cookies, it’s just something I can do for him and it makes me feel good to think maybe one of them will help make his day a little better because he always does so much for me.”

“Youngjae, you really don’t know anything, do you?”

“Hey, that’s not nice. I know lots of things, I’m in college now.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Anyway, here’s the batter, all done…”

Whatever else is said Jackson doesn’t hear because he quickly heads back to his room so he won’t be discovered.

Youngjae?

He never thought it would be him.

Or maybe it’s better said that he never allowed himself to hope that it would be Youngjae.

That night he doesn’t sleep much.

—

For the time being, he decides to keep it to himself that he knows Youngjae is the one behind the fortune cookie messages.

It’s for a few reasons, one of which is he is older so shouldn’t he be the one to initiate something first? But thinking that and doing that are two very different things. This is Youngjae, and Youngjae is important to him and he cares, a lot, about the younger man. His normally super self-confident self is nowhere to be found.

(Another reason too, if he’s honest, is that he really really looks forward to the surprise of finding a fortune cookie when he least expects it, much like a kid looks forward to Christmas morning.)

—

His decision lasts for only a week, and it’s because when he returns from filming one night, he finds Youngjae sitting on the couch in the dark.

“Oh, hyung,” Youngjae looks up, his eyes squinting from the sudden bright light. “You’re home, that’s good. I um… I need to go, sorry,” he says before rushing out the room.

But not quickly enough for Youngjae to hide the fact that he’d been crying.

He wants to go after him and ask him why, but Jaebum comes out to greet him.

“How did the filming go?”

“It went fine, just tiring.” He keeps his answer short because he’s more concerned about something else entirely. “What’s wrong with Youngjae?”

Jaebum frowns. “He had a bit of a rough day with both the vocal and dance coach this afternoon. We tried to cheer him up when we got back here, but I think it’s still bothering him. You should probably try and get some sleep soon, okay?”

“Yes, hyung. I will, thanks.”

—

It’s two hours later, meaning it’s a little after three, and he can’t sleep. Not while he’s thinking about Youngjae being upset, and the fact that he wasn’t there to try and help cheer him up.

With a plan in mind, he gets up and heads to Jinyoung’s room. After a quick knock, he walks into the room and sits on his friend’s bed.

“Youngjaeya, let me sleep.” A whine comes from Jinyoung’s mouth.

“I’m not Youngjae.”

Surprised at hearing Jackson’s voice, Jinyoung sits up immediately and turns the light on, wincing at the bright light. “Hey, you got back. What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, a couple hours ago. I need your help.”

Jinyoung looks at his alarm clock. “It’s three thirteen in the morning. What’s so urgent that you couldn’t possibly wait until a more decent hour to disturb me?”

“I need you to help me make fortune cookies.”

The look on Jinyoung’s face is pretty priceless, and if Jackson wasn’t still so upset about Youngjae crying, he’d laugh.

“You knew? I thought I heard something last week when I was in the kitchen with Youngjae, was that you? You heard everything?”

Jackson nods. “Yeah, um, I uh just… I just wanted to know who it was and when I found out it—”

“It made you happy, right?” Jinyoung asks. He’s pretty sure he knows the answer though, because he’s seen the way Jackson is with Youngjae, which is why he also thinks Youngjae is blissfully naive.

Jackson smiles. “Yeah, it did. So will you help me?”

“Seriously, why do I have to be the mom of the group?” Jinyoung moans, but still he throws off his covers and gets out of bed. “Come on, you two owe me big time. Just so you know.”

“Big time,” Jackson repeats. “Okay, copy that. Come on, time’s a wasting….”

—

The next morning comes way too early for Youngjae’s liking, but then again, it always comes way too early for his liking. Jaebum’s got a grin on his face as he heads out after waking him up, demanding he be dressed and ready to leave in twenty minutes.

He reaches out to grab his phone, and instead his hand touches something hard. Blinking his eyes, trying to fully wake up, he looks at what’s sitting on top of his bedside table.

It’s a fortune cookie. He thinks it is, it smells like one and looks to be the same color, just the shape is…. odd. It looks more like a rock.

Fortune cookie.

His mind stops and backtracks at the words and repeats them over and over. When the full implication sinks in, he starts freaking out.

Ohmygod.

No, this is not happening. (Denial is strong.)

Holycrap.

Fortune cookie.

Jackson knows, he _knows_.

Holyfreakingcrap.

He’s honestly scared to open it, but not opening it seems just as scary. Taking a deep breath, he breaks it apart and takes the tiny slip of white paper out.

Turning it over, he reads four words.

_I like you too._

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can’t you picture Youngjae doing this? (Youngjae totally brings out the fluff in me.)


	7. G is for Good Deeds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OT7, finally. Friendship, pre-ship, potential ship, established ship. Yugyeom remains alone, but don’t feel too badly, because Yugyeom’s the true star (MVP) of the chapter.

I’m a guardian angel. Please, I beg you, before you send the little men in white coats after me, believe me when I say I’m not crazy. I can hear voices. Okay, on second thought, I realize that sounds _crazy_ but — and this but is important — it’s true. I promise. Angels can’t lie. (At least I don’t think they can.)

I didn’t always hear voices. It happened two weeks ago, during dance practice, I fell and hit my head. I blacked out, and the next time I opened my eyes, I was already in the Emergency Room. After running a multitude of tests to check me out and over thoroughly, the hospital deemed I was fit and fine enough to return back to the dorm. Nothing wrong they said.

Except the very next morning I got the surprise of a lifetime when I realized that I could read people’s minds.

It freaked me out at first. Seriously wouldn’t you be freaked out too? I’m still not sure the rules and how it all works, but it seems like if I’m in the same room or a close enough vicinity to that person, I can read their thoughts. I’ve taken to wearing headphones often these days. Music and podcasts are my best friends and saving grace.

I’ve heard quite a few things, some of which are definitely classified as T.M.I. Like how Jackson spends every morning in the bathroom calling himself sexy in the mirror and spending an enormous amount of time self-praising all — and I do mean, _all_ — his body parts.

What’s my most favorite “secret” I’ve learned?

Mark and Jinyoung hyung like each other, as in boyfriend-dating like, as in I-really-want-to-see-you-naked like. (Again, really, honestly, too much information for my no-longer-so-innocent mind.)

The truth is Mark and Jinyoung have always been close, I know that, all the other members know that. Maybe that’s why the pair of them remain completely clueless that they both like each other, because they use the friendship-skinship rules of GOT7 to cover up their true feelings and thoughts.

This is where I come in, but first, let’s go back to the whole guardian angel thing.

Honestly I’m not sure if I’m a guardian angel, but being a guardian angel sounds much better in my head than thinking I’ve become some weird freak of nature that needs to be studied scientifically. So yes, I am a guardian angel. I just wish I had some kind of spiritual guide to help me along. You know one of those super quirky types that fall in love with and get distracted by simple human inventions like the light switch or elevators, or maybe one of those mysterious types that never fully answers your questions and instead speaks in circles and riddles.

With this power, I choose to do good and make Markjin real. I want my wings (or at least for my sanity, to stop hearing things), and I think this is the perfect way. Good karma and all that. Make Markjin happen and I’ll stop hearing voices. It’s totally plausible, right? I mean I can hear voices, so anything’s possible at this point.

Besides I’ve already tried falling and hitting my head multiple times and all that did was give me a massive headache.

—

Romantic cliches are cheesy but they work for a reason, right? My plan is simple: get Jinyoung to fall for Mark.

Literally.

Well, sort of.

See I’ve got this whole thing worked out in my head, and it’s going to be brilliant. I’ll get Jinyoung to fall, well almost fall, because Mark’s going to be Prince Charming and save the day, catching Jinyoung and sweeping him off his feet.

Cue birds chirping and angels rejoicing and all that jazzy fluff stuff.

The question is how to make it happen. Jinyoung isn’t particularly clumsy or anything, and timing is important. It takes two days before I come up with a foolproof plan.

Nothing can go wrong.

I arrive at the dance practice room ten minutes before the others are scheduled to come and pull out my secret weapon. A banana peel.

I’ve watched a dozen plus cartoons and it always always works. Everyone arrives, minus today’s two main players. Sweet. This is working out perfectly.

Trying my best not to look too conspicuous, I walk toward the doorway and oh-so-casually drop the peel. Jackson, Youngjae, and Bambam are sitting on the sofa chatting away and joking while Jaebum’s on the computer. I take a few steps back to lean against the back wall. I don’t want to be too far away, because I want to admire the beauty of my plan in action and see true love blossoming right in front of my eyes.

It’s going to be so beautiful, really. I may even shed a few tears. (Also I better be someone’s Best Man at the wedding. Just putting that out into the universe now and everything.)

Just as I see the soon-to-be-official couple enter, Jinyoung first — I’m seriously thinking I need to work on schooling my facial features to not spoil things — I hear Bambam say that he forgot something and see him rush toward the door.

“Noooo!” I exclaim, but it’s too late.

“AHHHHHH!” Bambam yells out, flailing his arms and landing on his butt with a loud thud.

Well, crap.

Jinyoung and Mark are the first to reach Bambam and help him to his feet. Bambam complains that he’ll have trouble dancing properly and keeping up with our choreography because he’s injured.

I think it serves him right for foiling my ingenious plan.

But that’s totally not a guardian angel thing to think, so I head toward my friend and try to make him smile.

—

Compliment the one you love. That’s like the most basic thing, right? This is going to be super easy.

Since we have the night off, we’re heading out to eat together. Jinyoung lost in paper, rock, scissors and had to shower last. We’re all in the living room waiting for him to finish getting dressed.

I’m sitting next to Mark on the couch, only half paying attention to the conversation that surrounds me (out loud and silently) when I see Jinyoung enter the room.

Yes, finally.

“Hyung, you look nice. Doesn’t Jinyoung look great in that shirt and those jeans?” I ask, but I make sure to pointedly stare at Mark the longest, hoping he’ll recognize and seize this great opportunity that I’ve so kindly created for him.

I can feel it, I’m one step closer to getting my wings.

Jinyoung, though, looks confused at my announcement and gives me a slightly embarrassed smile. It’s kind of cute. No wonder Mark hyung likes him so much.

“Hey, are you listening to me? Hyungs! Doesn’t Jinyoung look extra nice tonight?” Come on Mark hyung, here’s your opening. Take it, takkkkkke it!

Mark thinks Jinyoung always looks amazing. Tonight’s no exception. Jeans, sweats, hideous stage outfits, a paper bag; it never matters what he wears.

I glare at him, because seriously, why is he thinking those thoughts and not saying them to Jinyoung hyung’s face? It’s totally true that saying. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Well, I’ll just see about that. I’m determined to make this work. I step not-so-accidentally on Mark’s foot.

Mark speaks all right, he says “Ouch,” just as Jaebum pipes up to say, “Yes, Jinyoung looks nice tonight.”

 Mission failed. Again. This is so much harder than I thought it would be.

—

Another day, another disaster.

I tried writing a secret admirer love letter. It sounded pretty good too, I even quoted that Shakespeare guy and a few other flowery lines that didn’t actually make much sense to me but sounded pretty enough.

That plan failed spectacularly. I’ve got our coordinoona thinking that one of our company managers likes her. I’ll worry about fixing that later, because I’ve got more pressing concerns to attend to like the fact Markjin needs to happen.

These voices in my head will be the death of me and, or cause me to become crazy whichever happens first. I’m learning way too much and there are just some things — re: a lot of things — I don’t need to know. I’m way too young to handle this responsibility!

My members keep looking at me weirdly, because they’ll say something and I ignore them because I think I’m just overhearing their thoughts and then I get scolded because I didn’t answer them, and it’s just this big huge mess.

Something needs to happen, and soon.

(I really don’t want to die, or go crazy.)

Back to the drawing board and the proverbial square one. I need to look up more romantic comedies to watch late at night. For ideas, you know, not because I secretly started liking them or anything.

Hmm, I should make some popcorn…

—

A romantic dinner for two. I see that all the time in the movies and on TV shows, it’s the perfect setting for someone to confess their feelings. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier. I’m a little disappointed in myself.

My plan is to cook Mark and Jinyoung hyung dinner. I don’t actually know how to cook, which means they’re going to have to share a pot of ramyun. It’s totally going to be romantic though, because I managed to sneak away and buy a few candles and a red tablecloth. I need to think of some, what do they call it? Mood music.

The day of Operation Make Markjin Real starts off well. I’ve got the hyungs (excluding Jinyoung and Mark of course) and Bambam to agree to go out to eat with me.

It’s an hour before the magic is set to happen, when I hear Youngjae comment that Jackson doesn’t look that great.

To be honest, I’m still more focused on my picture perfect plan so it doesn’t fully register in my mind. I need to run through my time schedule and everything and double-check that Jinyoung and Mark hyung still plan to stay at the dorm.

“Hyung, Jaebum hyung,” Jackson says and wait, why does his voice sound like that? I turn and see him go lie down (collapse) on the sofa. “I’m not feeling so well.”

No, no, no, this is not good.

Jackson sees that I’m looking at him. “Yugyeommie, hey. I’m sorry I don’t think I can go out with everyone tonight….”

“Jackson hyung, you can’t get sick!”

“I’m sorry?”

Later I’m sure I’ll feel bad about my outburst, but at the moment, I’m narrow-mindedly focused on my one goal of the night: Markjin. “You’re going to ruin everything,” I whine, just as I see Jinyoung enter the room. As soon as Jinyoung sees Jackson on the couch, he rushes over to him.

“Jackson, what’s wrong?” He does the total mom-thing of checking for fever by using the back of his hand. “You don’t look so good. Jaebum hyung, help me, will you? Let’s get Jackson to bed so he can rest comfortably.” Jinyoung helps Jackson to sit up, he’s in total caretaker mode. “Here lean on me, I’ll make you some porridge in a bit, okay?”

A few minutes later, I’m all alone in the living room. Not caring that I’m acting like a misbehaving toddler, I stomp my feet in frustration.

—

At this point, two weeks and three more failed plans later, I’ve decided enough is enough.

I might be the maknae and they’re the hyungs and they may very well kill me later, but hey, I can hear their thoughts so I can make a run for it before they can catch me and my legs are longer too, so I’ve got a fighting chance. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to survive, at least until I can figure out how to fake a passport and leave the country.

“What’s going on, hyung?” I ask Jaebum when I see him standing at the doorway to the room I share with Bambam. I’ve just gotten back from finishing up my plan, so I’m feeling nervous and anxious and really, really excited because this time I think it’s going to work.

I know by now, you’re probably getting tired of my false confidence and you may even be rolling your eyes at me, but trust me, okay? Just once more, that’s all I ask.

“Come out to the living room,” Jaebum tells me and then leaves again, not waiting for my reply. He knows that I’ll follow anyway. He’s the leader and he’s my hyung.

When I enter the living room, I see Jackson, Youngjae, and Bambam are there too. Jaebum motions for me to stand in front of the TV.

“Before I tell you what this is all about, where are Mark hyung and Jinyoung? I thought they said they were going somewhere with you, but I didn’t see them return. They need to be here for this.”

“They’re a little preoccupied.”

“Occupied doing what exactly?” Bambam wants to know.

“I locked them in the practice room.” I might as well tell them now, because they’ll soon find out anyway, since my plan’s going to be super successful.

“You what?!” Jaebum yells, and oh boy, I forgot how scary he can be when he’s upset. “Why did you lock them in the practice room, Kim Yugyeom?”

“Well, it’s a long story,” I start and Jaebum glares at me. I notice Youngjae shifts a little closer to Jaebum and places a hand on his thigh.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Youngjae suggests.

I sigh. This could take a while. But I see the faces in front of me, and well, they asked for it. Since I can read their minds, I already know they plan to sit me down intervention-style to talk about my weird behavior lately. I just want one of them to be in my position and then see how they handle it and react.

I get no respect. (Where’s Aretha when you need her?)

“I can read people’s minds. I’m a guardian angel.” No reaction. Okay, then. “It happened after I hit my head, the next day I woke up and I could hear what everyone was thinking. I heard Mark and Jinyoung hyung thinking that they both liked each other, and so I thought I would help them get together. You know do a good deed, and in return, I can get my wings.”

All four of my friends exchange worried glances with each other. They say nothing, but that’s okay because I can hear their private thoughts.

It’s a lot of cursing and freaking out that this is way worse than they thought and that their precious maknae has finally gone crazy.

I’m offended.

“I’m not crazy.”

They look at me like I’ve just grown a second head or a third eye.

“I’m not crazy,” I reiterate. “I’m not making this up.” I can see (and hear) that they’re still non-believers, so I go in for the kill. “Jackson hyung, every morning I hear your thoughts while you look in the mirror. I know all about your self-praise fetish you’ve got going on…”

Jackson sputters. “Hey, you need to be confident in yourself first!”

Bambam can barely control his laughter. Youngjae and Jaebum hyung look a little worried. Nice.

“Youngjae hyung, why do you look so concerned?” I ask, my voice taking on a sweet syrupy quality. “I know you and Jaebum hyung are dating.” There I said it.

“Wait, what? Since when?” Jackson yells out in surprise and Bambam says, “Holy crap! Spill that tea, Yugyeom.”

“If you want I can tell them all about what you and Youngjae hyung were doing late last night?” I know I’m pushing it, but it’s kind of pissing me off that everyone thinks I’m crazy delusional. What I just said is a total bluff though, because I slept with my headphones on last night so I could finally get a decent night’s sleep. They, however, don’t know that.

“Okay, you win. You can shut up now, if you know what’s good for you,” Jaebum says. And since I can hear Jaebum’s thoughts, I wisely shut up.

Survival skills are essential after all.

—

One hour earlier…

I get Mark and Jinyoung hyung to come back to the dance studio with me, claiming I need help in locating my most prized possession.

“So, what are we supposed to be looking for again?” Mark asks as he and Jinyoung step into the practice room and walk toward the center.

I stop at the doorway. “I didn’t lose anything.”

“Wait, what? So then why are we even here?” Jinyoung questions me.

“I needed to get you two alone, so that no one else can mess up my plans. And this is what I came up with. It’s brilliant and you’ll thank me later.” I lay my hand on the doorknob. I know I’ll need to make a fast exit. “The short story version is that I can hear voices. I’m an angel and I need my wings. And how I’m going to get my wings is for you two to stop being so oblivious and you know actually talk about feelings and stuff like that. Jinyoung hyung, Mark likes you. Mark hyung, Jinyoung likes you. See, simple like one plus one equals two. Okay, now, I’m going to go and you two talk things out and uh, yeah… bye!”

I don’t know why I worried earlier about needing a quick exit strategy since I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen my hyungs look so shocked. They’re going to be frozen in place for a good five minutes I bet.

 Shutting the door, I place a chair beneath the doorknob to keep them locked in. There’s a lock on the outside door — don’t ask why — and I use that for an extra safety measure as well, so that my plan can succeed.

—

I’m still in the living room, being asked countless questions by my members. But now, it’s more like a conversation between friends than the earlier intervention atmosphere. After I fill them in on all my previous perfect plan attempts and how each of them had a hand in ruining almost all of them, they’re full of laughter and joking amongst themselves that they totally could do a better job.

I don’t mind the teasing though, not much at least. They’re not thinking that they need to lock me up anymore, which is a relief.

After recounting my final, final plan, they sit and stare at me in complete and total silence. I bask in the glow of them being struck in speechless awe over my matchmaking skills.

It’s a moment to savor.

Then Bambam speaks up and destroys it. “So basically, what I’m getting from all this, is that out of GOT7, only the three of us,” he stops to point to Jackson and me and then finally to himself, “that we’re not dating or getting any kind of action?”

Youngjae turns to Bambam in disbelief. “That’s what you’re getting out of Yugyeom’s whole entire story? That’s your most pressing concern?”

“Hey, now, you’re getting… well, okay I rather _not_ think about it too much, but still…” Bambam looks at me and grins.

Uh-oh. Bambam’s smiling like he’s up to no good.

“Wanna make out?”

I snort. As if. My lips are precious, thankyouverymuch! “No, thank you. You’re not my type.” (Side note: if I had long hair like a girl, I would totally do the hair flip thing right now.)

Bambam shrugs and gives up.

Jackson turns to Bambam and shoots him an offended look.

Oh, yes, yes this will be good. Now it’s my time to smirk. I barely keep myself from rubbing my hands in glee.

“Bambam, what about me? Why didn’t you ask me?” Jackson pouts. Yes, Jackson hyung pouts.

“Gah, don’t act like such a kid hyung!”

Bambam’s one to talk about acting like a kid. Honestly, now.

“Okay, then,” Bambam gives Jackson his full undivided attention, shifting closer and closer. Youngjae and Jaebum hyung look curious to see what Bambam will say next. “Hyung, do you want to go back to my room and make out?” Bambam asks in his best attempt at a seductive voice — which he totally fails at — and attempts to leer at Jackson. Then Bambam bursts out laughing and sticks his tongue out at Jackson, thinking he’s been particularly clever or something.

“I’ll think about it,” Jackson replies as he stands and walks away without a backward glance.

Ah, man, Jackson hyung’s got major major swag. I have so much to learn from him.

Bambam’s mouth hangs wide open. Jaebum helps Youngjae to his feet and leads the way to their bedroom. They’re trying to keep their laughter to a minimum but they’re not doing that great of a job.

“Yugyeom,” Jaebum yells back to me, “we’ll talk more later.” Then I hear a door closing and I’m left alone with Bambam.

Speaking of Bambam, he’s doing this really funny thing, he’s looking at me and then turning to stare in the direction of where Jackson walked off, then back to me, then back to Jackson’s direction. He’s going to give himself a headache or get dizzy or something.

“Yugyeom.”

“Yes, what?” It’s been a long day. True love takes a lot of energy to make happen. I’m exhausted.

“Was Jackson hyung serious?”

“How would I know?” Sure I’m being a little evil, but why not? Can you blame me?

“Because you can read people’s minds! Wait, don’t read mine though. Read Jackson hyung’s mind and tell me if he was serious or not….”

“I don’t want to,” I say and walk away.

Bambam follows me the entire way, begging.

Perhaps now I’ll get a little respect.

 _What you want…._  
_Baby, I got…._  
_What you need…_

—

Back in the locked dance practice room, current time…

The lights are out and the only sound coming from behind closed doors is a hot and heavy make-out session.

Back in GOT7’s dorm, Yugyeom gets his wings.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried (omg I tried) to make this more Markjin oriented, and I tried to make this into a more serious story, but all that did was give me a headache. Sometimes you just need to go with what feels right, so I bought my one-way ticket and boarded the rom-com (extra emphasis on com!) train and didn’t look back.
> 
> Not my usual style of writing, in that I wrote in first person and created a bit of a conversational piece, breaking the 4th dimensional wall. It definitely won’t become a habit, but I think it hopefully worked well with this chapter.
> 
> Comments are lovely and appreciated. Let me know your thoughts!


	8. H is for Holiday Baking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sequel to F is for Fortune Cookies, and a bit inspired by GOT7 “Confession Song” Free Dance Live Video where Jackson tosses Youngjae onto the bed. What can I say? GOT7 and beds may be my new OTP.

“Good morning, sleepyheads, rise and shine. Time to wake up.”

Jinyoung first went to Jackson and Mark’s room and he’s not surprised that he no longer needs to make a trip to Jaebum and Youngjae’s shared bedroom. More often than not these days, Youngjae can be found sleeping in Jackson’s bed and this morning is no exception. Jinyoung is surprised, however, when the younger man opens his eyes first. 

“Hyung, what?” Youngjae looks at the nearby clock. “It’s not even six a.m., and today’s our day off.” He makes a sleepy pouting face. 

Jackson stirs and wraps his arms around Youngjae to pull him closer against him, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Youngjae’s neck. “Baby, let’s stay in bed a little longer and cuddle…” Jackson’s voice is thick and heavy with sleep. 

“Hyung,” Youngjae murmurs, laying a hand on Jackson’s arm that’s wrapped around his waist. “Wake up, please. We have an audience.” He’s thankful that Jinyoung only turned on a small light (presumably because Jinyoung hadn’t wanted to wake Mark) since he knows his face is probably turning red. 

“Audie— what?” Jackson opens his eyes and Jinyoung waves.

“As entertaining as you two are, we’re behind schedule.”

“What schedule?” Jackson asks. “Isn’t today Tuesday?” He’s exhausted and tired and days do run together but surely he didn’t skip an entire day, right? He’s been looking forward to their collective day off, because he planned to spend quality time with his boyfriend, preferably some of it without the other members around. 

Once he realizes Jinyoung isn’t leaving anytime soon, Youngjae sits up in bed and Jackson moves closer so he can keep an arm lightly draped around his boyfriend’s waist.

“We’re baking today.”

“We are? Why so early though?” Youngjae frowns because he really wants to sleep (and cuddle with Jackson) more. “Jinyoung hyung, what about we bake later?”

“Youngjae, you’re the one who kept waking me up at ungodly hours when you were busy flirting with Jackson months ago.”

“I wasn’t flirting,” Youngjae protests weakly. “I just, you know, I just wanted to make Jackson hyung smile.”

“And you did a great job of that, baby. Everything about you makes me smile—”

“Ohmygod, seriously you two.” Mark’s sleep-deprived voice can be heard coming from the top bunk, although he doesn’t bother to lean over the rail and show his face. “Jinyoung, can you please take the two lovebirds out of here, so I can get some real sleep. They keep me at night with the weird noises they make…”

Youngjae looks like he wants the floor to open up so he can disappear and Jackson tightens his hold on Youngjae just slightly and squeezes his hand gently. Jackson glares up at Mark, not like the older boy can see it. “Mark hyung’s just jealous and upset that he’s still single, so don’t worry about it, Youngjae.”

“Yes, I’m jealous, so go take your love somewhere else…. and let me sleep.”

Jinyoung takes pity on the oldest group member. “Come on guys, let’s take all your undying devotion to the kitchen,” he tells them. He pulls Youngjae out of bed first, then Jackson. Jackson grabs the long sleeve shirt that’s lying at the bottom of his bed and puts it on over his tank top as the three of them head out of the room.

Once in the kitchen, Jinyoung’s got a grin on his face as he hands his two friends a couple of early Christmas gifts he just happened to find and pick up yesterday while he was out shopping for ingredients. 

“Here you go. Don’t want to get anything on your clothes now, do you?”

Jackson holds up the first apron, then the second one. “Seriously, Jinyoung?”

“Hyung, that’s just mean.” 

“Don’t you two owe me a few favors?” Jinyoung asks.

“This is what you want? If we wear these, it will cancel out any and all future potential favors?” Youngjae questions, eager for the answer to be yes. Jinyoung’s been having a little too much fun cashing in “favors”. 

“Oh, no.” Jinyoung laughs. “No, but it will create a certain feeling of goodwill toward the two of you.”

Jackson and Youngjae look at each other and silently decide it’d just be quicker to wear the gifts then to protest further, that way hopefully they can get back to bed within the next hour. 

“Don’t you two look adorable,” Jinyoung teases with a cheeky smile. “I should take a picture and post it for the fans. It could be the Christmas gift that keeps on giving and inspiring all year long….” At the combined look of horror on his friends’ faces, he takes the nice but less fun route and promises them that he was just kidding. 

Youngjae’s decked out in a sexy Mrs. Claus apron and Jackson’s sporting a naughty elf apron. Jinyoung puts on his gingerbread man apron that he bought for himself. (It’s cute and sweet with just a hint of spice, just like him.)

“Why did you want to bake today hyung? It’s our day off, but we could have started later, right?”

“I’m going to teach you how to make sugar cookies.” He can already foresee Youngjae and Jackson waking him up from his precious beauty sleep and begging him to help them make Christmas cookies for the other one. So to prevent that from happening, he decides to embrace the wise old adage: give a man a fish (cookie) and you feed him for a day; teach the man to fish (bake) you feed him for a lifetime. “And we’re starting early because after you make the cookie dough, it needs to be refrigerated for several hours. So after we finish making it, I’m going back to bed… and you two can do that as well or whatever else. Later this afternoon will be part two of your baking lesson.”

“I vote bed,” Jackson pipes up and Jinyoung rolls his eyes at him.

“You would,” Jinyoung says. 

Jackson sticks his tongue out at his friend and grins. He can’t help it that he can’t — and doesn’t want to — resist the cuteness that is his boyfriend. 

“What can I do to help hyung?” Youngjae asks when he sees Jinyoung searching through the cabinets, getting out bowls and kitchen utensils they’ll need. “I would really like to learn how to bake.”

“You would?” Jackson asks, curious because he hadn’t known his boyfriend was that interested in kitchen chef stuff.

“Well, yeah. That way anytime you needed cheering up or just because I wanted to, I could bake some cookies or a cake or something for you. Just me, without having to ask Jinyoung hyung for help.”

Jackson thinks for the hundredth — no, millionth? — time that he’s lucky to be able to call Youngjae his boyfriend. “I like the way your cookies taste.”

Jinyoung accidentally lets a cabinet door slam shut. “Seriously, you two, if that’s a euphemism for something else…” He’s really beginning to believe that Mark deserves to be called a saint, since Mark has to put up with Jackson and Youngjae’s lovey-dovey sweetness the most out of all of them.

“Hyung!” Youngjae blushes and pretends to be busy retying his apron.

“Jinyoung, seriously your mind is in the gutter way too much. Stop trying to corrupt my baby.” (Honestly if there’s any corrupting of Youngjae, Jackson hopes it will be by his doing only.)

Jinyoung ignores that comment and turns to hand Youngjae a list of ingredients. “Will you find and put all these things out on the counter? Thanks.”

Ten minutes later, everything’s set up and ready. 

“So you’re both going to be making separate batters—”

“Why two different cookie batters? Won’t one be enough?”

“Because I’ll look at the finished dough to see which looks best and whoever loses, you’ll have to follow what the winner says and orders.”

“Hyung, only in the kitchen?” Youngjae asks.

Jinyoung shrugs before answering. “It’s up to you two how far you take that particular kink.”

Jackson glares at his friend and taps Jinyoung on his arm with the spatula he’s holding in mock warning.

“Ow. Just for that, I can already foresee Youngjae’s going to be doing exceptionally well today…”

Youngjae cheers and Jackson looks over at his boyfriend and sees the way Youngjae’s face lights up at Jinyoung’s announcement.

“I didn’t realize you secretly wanted to order me around, Youngjae. I like it,” Jackson says with a smile on his face that’s full of mischief. “The things you learn when you bake… thanks, Jinyoung.”

“That’s what I’m here for. And to teach you how to bake, so before it gets any later, let’s get started.” 

—

Later, many many hours later, Jinyoung’s back in the kitchen again with Youngjae and Jackson but his two friends are being way too ridiculous for him. (Okay, truthfully, he’s just jealous. Jackson and Youngjae really are cute and sweet together but because he’s single, he can’t help but roll his eyes at their cheeseball antics while secretly wishing he had someone to be that way with too.)

Finally after Youngjae states that he wants to make a heart shaped sugar cookie and bake it just for Jackson — so that he can give his heart to Jackson in cookie form — and Jackson says he wants to cut out a present shaped cookie for Youngjae — because he wants to give Youngjae the gift of his love — Jinyoung barely manages to keep from making gagging noises and decides generously to let the two lovebirds do their own thing.

But first, first, he has to get them to promise him something.

“After you finish cutting and sprinkling the cookies with sugar, you’re going to bake them in the oven for eight to ten minutes. All right?”

“Yeah, okay. Eight, ten minutes,” Youngjae repeats the important parts out loud. “Got it, hyung. Thanks.”

“I’m going to go hang out in the living room, but later come find me. I’ve got something important to talk to you both about…”

FIN


	9. I is for It's for the Birds

They’re between promotion cycles which means they are busy, just not the same level of busy as when they’re in the middle of a comeback. They’ve got recording to do, learning and perfecting the new choreography, album photos and teasers to shoot, and countless other little details to take care of as well.

It’s nighttime, and they’re back after a long day of recording and dance practice. They ate out before returning to their dorm and everyone’s showered and piled into the living room to relax, minus Jaebum who lost Kai Bai Bo and ended up last to call the shower.

The TV is on low, background noise mainly as they chat and laugh. Bambam’s in his massage chair, or as he sometimes likes to call it ‘his throne’. Mark and Youngjae are sitting next to him on the couch. Coco is lying in Youngjae’s lap and Mark occasionally reaches out and pets the pampered pup before resting his hand back on the younger man’s thigh. Jackson sits next to Youngjae followed by Jinyoung and Yugyeom has his long legs stretched out on the L-shape portion of their sofa.

Talk quickly turns from serious (discussing their upcoming schedules) to lighthearted bickering and snarky commentary on who has been taking the longest in the bathroom (Bambam) to who has the worst comeback outfit for the jacket photoshoot (Bambam’s chosen, but he says he has the confidence to pull it off so he vehemently disagrees) to who is acting the most vain lately (Bambam).

In retaliation for the hyungs unfairly (in his opinion) ganging up on him and laughing at his expense, Bambam decides to turn the tables a bit. “Jinyoung hyung.”

Jinyoung shifts his attention from grabbing the pillow Yugyeom had stolen from him moments earlier and turns to the Thai member.

“Since your name’s the same as Park Jinyoung PDnim, don’t you ever worry about who Jaebum hyung is thinking about during sex?”

Jinyoung throws his newly acquired pillow at Bambam. The pillow misses, almost hitting Youngjae but Mark catches it in time. “Thanks hyung,” Youngjae murmurs and Mark answers with a quiet smile of his own before tossing the pillow at Bambam’s face in Jinyoung’s stead.

“If he’s thinking about JYP PDnim, then I’m doing something wrong. And trust me, I’m not. The walls aren’t that soundproofed around here so…” he trails off with a pointed look, daring anyone to disagree.

“Yeah, on that line of talk,” Jackson pipes up next to Jinyoung. “Can you please tell Jaebum hyung to keep it down when you’re having sex—” the others are quick to throw in nods of agreement while Jinyoung looks offended. Jackson continues, “What? I meant his voice geez, not his di—”

“Shut it, Jackson,” Jinyoung interrupts with a warning, when he notices Jaebum coming into the room freshly showered and looking incredibly fucking hot in glasses and a white tank with black athletic shorts. The air conditioning is on thanks to it being summertime, but it does absolutely nothing to cool his thoughts.

“Quit talking about our sex life.” Jaebum doesn’t miss a beat as he heads toward the couch. Yugyeom sits up, shifting his position and placing his feet on the floor to give Jaebum space to sit down.

“I didn’t start it,” Jinyoung defends himself, pointing toward Bambam as the culprit responsible and Bambam is quick to deny any and all involvement.

“You could have steered the conversation elsewhere, Jinyoung. Let’s try not to corrupt the innocent ones.”

Jinyoung laughs at the ridiculousness of his boyfriend’s statement. “Yeah, sure… look who’s talking. Mister leave my laptop out in the open with my porn folder unlocked!”

Thanks to Jinyoung’s longterm memory, Jaebum is sure he will never live that incident down. He can picture it when they’re eighty years old Jinyoung will still bring up that fateful day. Yugyeom and Bambam had been quite the wildlife fanatics a few years back, and well, he can’t help it that he titled that particular folder with a bird’s name. He’s a guy living in Korea, it’s what they do.

“Yes, dear. I corrupted our kids,” he says with an exaggerated sigh, reciting the words for what feels like the fiftieth time (which may or may not be close to the actual number). “I’m sorry. But you’re not helping now.”

“Now doesn’t matter,” Jinyoung asserts. “Once they become corrupted, you can’t uncorrupt them! Seriously don’t you know anything?”

“I know that…” Jaebum gets up and Jinyoung follows him to the middle of the living room floor, ready to battle.

The others stay seated while Yugyeom stretches out his legs again and keep silent, not even blinking an eye that the resident mom and dad of the group are fighting. Who needs the television when the drama unfolding in front of you is ten times more entertaining?

To the untrained observer it may look like Jaebum and Jinyoung are two seconds from duking it out and turning into a full-out brawl. But to them, the natives, they understand the JJ Project dynamics pretty well now and their ‘fighting’ is just some kind of weird kinky foreplay. It’s actually kind of impressive how quickly they can go from wanting to rip each other’s throats (aggressive behavior, male dominance) to wanting to rip each other’s clothes off (sexual attraction, sexual prowess) in the very next breath.

It’s a gift really, and one that keeps on giving since it provides the group with plenty of material to tease the couple with later. (Bambam and Jackson especially appreciate this.)

“…and you should really learn how to—”

Jaebum and Jinyoung are still facing off, centimeters apart, annoyed and glaring daggers when Jackson yells out interrupting the heated exchange. “Oh, come on you two… get a room! And preferably your own this time.”

Jinyoung breaks eye contact with Jaebum and glances over at Jackson with a smile. “That sounds like a great idea, thank you. I think someone is in dire need of a lesson,” he turns back to his boyfriend and smirks.

“We’ll see who is teaching whom a lesson,” Jaebum counters and surprises Jinyoung by lifting him into his arms and tossing him over his shoulder, making his younger boyfriend let out a completely girly scream. Jaebum laughs as he carries Jinyoung toward their shared bedroom.

The kids and Mark hear Jinyoung yelling, “Put me down, you big jerk!” and Jaebum’s subsequent reply, “The only place I’m putting you down is on the bed, but if you don’t be quiet it’ll be the carpet and remember last time, you complained about carpet burns…”

 And that’s the very last they hear after the door shuts and Mark grabs the TV remote to turn the volume up to a very loud decibel. (Someone has to be responsible and try and protect the kids after all.)

Before long, Jackson starts messing with Bambam and Yugyeom, resuming his earlier teasing of the maknaes, and Youngjae interrupts them briefly to let them know he’s taking Coco out for a walk with Mark.

Nothing surprises them anymore, they’re all well adapted to JJP shenanigans, or as Bambam likes to think of it: just another day in GOT7’s natural habitat.

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated. Thank you!


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